Archery bow case

ABSTRACT

A bow case used to store at least one archery bow. The bow case includes a body with a bottom and a side, at least one leg for supporting the body in a raised position, and a mounting bracket for connecting the leg to the body. The mounting bracket contacts both a bottom and a side of the body. A bow case that includes a body with an internal cavity and the cavity is externally accessible while the body remains closed. A bow case that includes a body with at least one leg for supporting the body in a raised position and a mounting bracket which connects the leg to the body. The mounting bracket includes a socket, which receives the leg, and supports that are attached between the socket and the mounting bracket.

BACKGROUND

This disclosure relates generally to a storage case and, in anembodiment described herein, more particularly to a case, with removablelegs and a storage cavity, for storing and transporting archeryequipment.

Various storage cases exist to hold and protect archery equipment whentransporting to and from hunting or archery competition sites. However,because many archers carry additional items, such as arrowheads, knives,bowstring, various tools, etc., additional storage containers or bagsare often necessary. These additional items can be burdensome for thearcher to carry when traveling to and from these sites. This difficultybecomes greater when the sites are located in remote areas.

Some storage cases include internal compartments that allow the archerto better organize additional items into one carrying case. However, ifany of these items are needed, the carrying case must be opened toretrieve them. This usually requires placing the case on the ground,kneeling down beside the case, and then opening the case to retrieve theneeded item. In some hunting situations, the ground will be muddy, whichmakes it more difficult to keep the equipment clean.

There is another problem with setting a bow down when making adjustmentsto the equipment or retrieving arrows from a target after a practiceround. An archer will usually lay the bow on top of a closed case orback inside an open case to make adjustments or retrieve arrows. This ismore difficult when the case is lying on the ground.

Yet another problem exists when accessing items stored in an internalcompartment of the case. When packing for a trip, the hunter may packthe case underneath several other items required for the journey.Unfortunately, it is often necessary to retrieve various tools, such asa knife or adjustment tool, from the compartment after the packing iscomplete. This requires the case to be fully unpacked from under theother items before the case can be opened to access the internalcompartment.

Therefore, it may be seen that improvements are needed in the art ofstorage cases for archery equipment. These improvements may be useful inapplications other than archery storage cases.

SUMMARY

In the present specification, a portable bow case is provided whichbrings improvements to the art of storage cases for archery equipment.One example is described below in which a bow case includes a leg thatholds the case in a raised position. Another example is described belowin which a bow case includes a cavity for storing tools or legs. Yetanother example is described below in which a bow case includes amounting bracket that contains supports for increased rigidity.

In one aspect, a bow case includes a body with a bottom and a side, andat least one leg. The leg supports the body in a raised position. Amounting bracket connects the leg to the body, and simultaneouslycontacts both the bottom and the side of the body.

In another aspect, a bow case includes an internal cavity that isexternally accessible while the body remains closed.

In yet another aspect, a bow case includes a bow case body with at leastone leg that supports the body in a raised position. A mounting bracketconnects the leg to the body and includes a socket for receiving the leginto the bracket. The mounting bracket has at least one support attachedbetween the socket and a surface of the mounting bracket. The supportprovides increased rigidity to the socket. The mounting bracket also hasat least one support attached between a flange and a base of themounting bracket. The support provides increased rigidity to themounting bracket.

These and other features, advantages and benefits will become apparentto one of ordinary skill in the art upon careful consideration of thedetailed description of representative examples below and theaccompanying drawings, in which similar elements are indicated in thevarious figures using the same reference numbers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bow case embodying principles of thepresent disclosure with the top open and an archery bow stored inside.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the bow case.

FIG. 3 is a perspective bottom view of the bow case.

FIG. 4A is an enlarged scale partial cross-sectional view of a mountingbracket for the bow case mounted to an exterior of the bow case takenalong line 4A-4A of FIG. 3.

FIG. 4B is another configuration of an enlarged scale partialcross-sectional view of a mounting bracket for the bow case mounted toan interior of the bow case taken along line 4A-4A of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a single-leg mounting bracket.

FIG. 6 is a perspective top view of a storage cavity, in the bow case.

FIG. 7 is a perspective top view of the bow case with a lid to thestorage cavity closed.

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of a four-leg support bracket.

FIG. 9 is an isometric view of a two-leg support bracket.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the bow case with the top open.

FIG. 11 is another configuration of the bow case with the top open.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It is to be understood that the various embodiments of the presentinvention described herein may be utilized in various orientations andin various configurations, without departing from the principles of thepresent invention. The embodiments are described merely as examples ofuseful applications of the principles of the invention, which is notlimited to any specific details of these embodiments.

Representatively illustrated in FIG. 1 is a bow case 10, which embodiesprinciples of this disclosure. The bow case allows an archer to organizeand use archery equipment more efficiently. FIG. 1 shows at least onearchery bow 11 being stored internally in the bow case.

Various activities, such as hunting, practicing, archery competitions,etc., can sometimes occur during harsh conditions, such as rain, mud,snow, etc. During these activities or others, such as packing for a tripor loading/unloading equipment at home or a remote site, the archerneeds efficient access to the equipment.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the bow case 10 includes a bow case body 12 andat least one leg 14 for supporting the body in a raised position. Thepreferred embodiment includes four legs, as illustrated in FIG. 2, butany number of legs can be used. For example, a single leg 14 can beconnected to the bow case body 12 with attachment to a center 48 (seeFIG. 3) of a bottom 30 of the body.

A single-leg embodiment would be required to support the full weight ofthe body 12 plus additional moments, and therefore, a larger leg may bepreferred. These moments would result from forces applied to the bodyaway from an attachment point of the leg to the body.

When multiple legs 14 are used to support the body 12, the legs arepreferably attached around the perimeter of a bottom edge of the bodyand spaced apart to provide the optimum stability for that particularconfiguration of legs. It can be appreciated by those skilled in the artthat any number of legs, such as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc., can be used tosupport the bow case body without departing from the principles of thisdisclosure.

The bow case 10 is designed to facilitate mobility and improved accessto equipment, which is desired when transporting archery equipment toand from remote sites. These remote sites can be in the archer'sbackyard at home, across town, in a different state, a differentcountry, etc. It is preferred, when transporting the archery equipment,to store all of the archery equipment within a single carrying case forconvenience and organization, as well as for protecting the equipmentduring travel. Upon arrival at a remote site, the bow case 10 may bedeployed as shown in FIG. 2 to assist the archer in performing anyrequired archery activities.

The legs 14 in FIG. 2 are detached from the body 12 and stored in astorage compartment in the body for transport. The legs are preferablycollapsible so that storage space, required for transport, can beminimized. However, it is not required that the legs be collapsible. Forexample, each leg may be a one-piece construction of any desired lengthto support the bow case body 12. In another configuration, the leg 14may include multiple leg segments, which are assembled together toprovide a desired leg length. Thus, it will be appreciated that variousconfigurations of the leg are possible without departing from theprinciples of the present disclosure.

Referring now to FIG. 4A, each leg 14 may be removably attached to thebottom 30 of the bow case body 12 by utilizing a mounting bracket 16.The mounting bracket is preferably attached to the bow case body 12 withscrews 34, but the mounting bracket may also be attached using glue orVELCRO or any other suitable attachment means. FIG. 4A shows themounting bracket 16 attached to an exterior of the bow case body 12. Inanother configuration, FIG. 4B shows the mounting bracket attached in aninterior of the bow case body. In yet another configuration, themounting bracket 16 may be integrally formed with the bow case body 12when the body is manufactured, thus reducing the number of assemblysteps required to produce the bow case 10. Therefore, it will beappreciated that various means can be used to incorporate the mountingbracket 16 in the bow case body 12 without departing from the principlesof this disclosure.

As shown in FIG. 4A, the bracket 16 may be recessed toward an interior26 of the body 12 and mounted flush with an exterior wall 28 of the bodyto minimize any exterior protrusions. Exterior protrusions interferewith baggage handling systems, such as at airports, and generally makehandling an item more difficult. Therefore, the mounting bracket 16 ispreferably recessed into the body 12, adjacent to the exterior wall 28,to assist in handling ease. However, it is not required that themounting bracket be recessed into the body and adjacent to the exteriorwall. The mounting bracket 16 may be mounted directly to the exteriorwall 28 and not recessed into the body. As stated above, the mountingbracket may also be integrally formed with the body 12 when the body ismanufactured and therefore the bracket would be a continuation of theexterior wall 28 and the body 12. It will be appreciated that there arevarious ways that the bracket 16 can be provided as a feature of the bowcase body 12 without departing from the principles of this disclosure.

Each mounting bracket 16 may include a base 18, a flange 20, supports21, 23, 24, and a socket 22 for removably attaching the leg 14 to thebow case body 12. The mounting brackets are preferably mounted aroundthe perimeter of the bow case body, and attached to the bottom 30 and atleast one side 32 of the body. However, when a single leg 14 is used tosupport the body, then another configuration of the mounting bracket 16,as shown in FIG. 5, would be mounted in the center 48 (FIG. 3) of thebottom 30 of the body. In this configuration, the mounting bracket 16does not contact the side 32 of the body. A support 21 is relativelyperpendicular to the base 18, which provides rigidity to the mountingbracket 16. It will be appreciated that multiple supports may be used tostrengthen the bracket 16 instead of a single support, as shown in FIG.5.

Again referring back to FIG. 4A, the socket 22 is attached to the base18 and extends from the base 18 toward the interior 26 of the bow casebody 12. At least one support 24 is attached between the surface 54 ofthe base of the mounting bracket 16 and the socket 22. This providesincreased rigidity of the socket and support for the leg 14 when the legis inserted into the socket. The support 24 and the socket 22 may beattached to the surface 54 in various ways, such as welding, gluing,using screws, etc.

At least one support 23 is attached between the surface 54 and theflange 20. This provides increased rigidity of the mounting bracket. Thesupport 23 may also be attached in various ways, such as welding,gluing, using screws, etc.

In another configuration, the mounting bracket 16 may be formed throughprocesses such as plastic injection molding or metal casting. Theseprocesses form a single piece product, which may have the base 18,flange 20, socket 22, and supports 21, 23, 24 features of the bracket 16already included in a single piece construction. If the bracket 16 isintegrally formed with the bow case body 12, no attachment means wouldbe required. Therefore, it will be appreciated that various means can beused to provide the supports 21, 23, 24, socket 22, base 18, and flange20 features of mounting bracket 16 without departing from the principlesof this disclosure.

Material used to manufacture the mounting bracket 16 may include metals,plastics, etc. Plastic may be preferred to minimize the weight of thebow case 10, but metal may be preferred to maximize the rigidity of themounting bracket.

The socket 22 may be attached to the base 18 in such a way as to causethe leg 14, once installed in the socket 22, to extend relativelyperpendicular to the bottom 30. This is preferred when a single leg 14is used to support the body 12. However, when multiple legs are used,socket 22 is preferably attached, or formed, to the base 18 slightlytilted towards the center 48 of the body, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B.This results in a perimeter, defined by the bottoms 36 of the legs,being larger than a perimeter defined by the tops 38 of the legs.

The socket 22 receives the leg 14 for supporting bow case 10 in a raisedposition off the ground, or a floor, or any surface on which the archerdesires to place the bow case 10. The socket may be cylindrically shapedas shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, but the socket is not required to becylindrically shaped. The socket may be rectangular, square, oval, starshaped, or any other shape that accepts a similarly shaped leg 14 intothe socket 22. When inserted into the socket, the leg may be kept in thesocket by gravitational forces acting on the weight of the body 12.However, it is preferred that the leg 14 be positively held in thesocket by an interference fit between the leg and the socket. In thisexample, the leg includes a slight taper at the top end 38. When end 38is inserted into the socket 22, the end travels into the socket untilfriction force on an outside wall of the end 38 and an inside wall ofthe socket 22 acts to positively retain the end in the socket.

The friction may retain the end 38 in the socket until the archer needsto pack up the archery equipment for transport. The end may then beremoved from the socket 22 by applying enough force to dislodge the endfrom the socket. However, it is not necesssary that the end 38 beretained in the socket 22 of bracket 16 by friction. In anotherconfiguration, the end 38 and socket 22 may have mating threads and theend may be screwed into the socket. Therefore, it will be appreciatedthat various means can be used to attach the end 38 to the socket 22without departing from the principles of this disclosure.

To prepare the bow case 10 for transport, the archer detaches any leg 14used to support the bow case body 12, collects any archery tools neededfor the upcoming archery activity, collects the archery bow, and storesthese items in the bow case 10. Storage areas in the interior 26 of thebow case body may be used to store the archery bow, some archery tools,and the legs (assuming a multi-leg example). However, it is preferredfor the legs and the archery tools to be stored in an externallyaccessible storage cavity 50.

Referring now to FIG. 6, the storage cavity 50 of the bow case 10provides storage for archery tools 56 and at least one leg 14. In thisexample, the cavity 50 provides storage for four legs and at least onearchery tool, but it is not necessary that the storage cavity 50 storefour legs. The cavity 50 may store any number of legs as desired, inkeeping with the storage requirements of the various examples of the bowcase 10.

The storage cavity 50 is preferably mounted in the center 46 (refer toFIG. 7) of the top 44 of the bow case body 12 and recessed into the bowcase body 12. The storage cavity 50 may include a lid 52 used to securethe contents of cavity 50 for transport. However, a lid 52 is notrequired to secure the contents in the cavity 50. Many other securingmeans may be used, such as VELCRO, nylon straps, elastic straps, slottedfoam pads, etc., without departing from the principles of thisdisclosure.

The storage cavity 50 may be externally accessible while the bow casebody 12 remains closed. This permits the archer to retrieve tools moreeasily. This is beneficial when the bow case 10 is loaded in a vehicle,for example, with other items in preparation for transport or duringtransport. With external access to the storage cavity 50, the archer maynot have to unload as many items as would be required if the archer hadto retrieve items from inside the case. Bow cases having only internalstorage compartments require opening the bow case in order to retrieveitems from the compartments.

With the bow case 10 in a raised position, the archer may need a tool,which is stored in the bow case, for adjusting an archery bow. If thearcher has placed an archery bow or tool or even a drink on the top ofbow case, these items would have to be removed to access internalstorage compartments. To alleviate this problem, external access tocontents of the storage cavity 50 is provided. This permits the archerto retrieve stored items from the cavity without opening the bow casebody 12.

Storage cavity 50 may include separate storage areas. For example, legs14 may be stored in one area 58 and the archery tools may be stored inanother area 60. Area 58 may contain several types of retainers forsecuring the legs 14 in the storage cavity. For example, a four-legbracket 70, shown in FIG. 8, may be used to secure up to four legs inthe storage area 58. A pair of four-leg brackets may be used to securethe legs. Each bracket 70 may be spaced apart and attached within thestorage area. The spacing of brackets 70 depends on the length of thelegs 14 being secured. The legs may be snapped into retention features71 of the brackets 70.

In another configuration, a two-leg bracket 72, shown in FIG. 9, may beused to secure the legs in the storage area 58. One pair of brackets 72may secure two legs. Each bracket of the pair would be spaced apart andattached within the storage area 58. The spacing of brackets 72 woulddepend on the length of the legs 14 being secured. The legs may besnapped into retention features 73 of the brackets 72.

Multiple pairs of either brackets 70 or 72 may be used to secure adesired number of legs 14. In a preferred example of the bow case 10,four legs are used to support the bow case body 12 in a raised position;therefore, a single pair of brackets 70 or two pairs of brackets 72 maybe used to secure the legs in the storage area 58.

It will be appreciated that brackets 70 can be used together withbrackets 72. It will also be appreciated that neither of these bracketsare required to secure the legs in the storage area 58. Many othersecuring means may be used, such as VELCRO, nylon straps, elasticstraps, slotted foam pads, etc., without departing from the principlesof this disclosure.

Regarding the manufacture of the storage cavity 50, it will beappreciated that the cavity can be manufactured separately and attachedto the bow case body 12 by suitable means, such as screws, glue,welding, etc. This allows different versions of the storage cavity to besubstituted in the assembly process without requiring significantmodifications to the manufacturing process. However, the storage cavitycan also be manufactured with the bow case body in a singlemanufacturing process such as plastic thermal forming or molding orother processes well known in the art. Therefore, it is not necessarythat the storage cavity 50 be manufactured separately from the bow casebody. It will be appreciated that there are many ways to manufacture thebow case body 12 with a storage cavity 50 without departing from theprinciples of this disclosure.

Archery tools 56 may be similarly secured in the storage area 60 usingVELCRO, nylon straps, elastic straps, slotted foam pads, etc. Thearchery tools may also be secured in area 60 by the lid 52. It will beappreciated that many securing means may be used without departing fromthe principles of this disclosure.

Referring now to FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, the bow case 10 may also includeinternal storage compartments, in addition to the storage cavity 50.These internal storage compartments provide the archer with more optionswhen preparing for and traveling to an archery event. For example, itmay be desirable to store the legs 14 in internal storage areas 74 or 76instead of in the cavity 50. In the preferred example of bow case 10,four legs 14 are used to support the bow case body 12 in a raisedposition. These four legs may be stored internally in storage areas 74or 76 with similar securing means to those described above for securingthe legs in the storage area 58. The positions of areas 74 and 76, shownin FIGS. 10 and 11, are only examples of where these areas may belocated. These positions are not requirements for the bow case 10 asother positions may be used without departing from the principles ofthis disclosure.

It will now be fully appreciated that the above disclosure providesseveral advancements to the art of storage cases for archery equipment.In examples described above, a bow case 10 is supplied with a mountingbracket 16, which attaches a leg 14 to a body 12. In addition, examplesdescribed above provide an externally accessible storage cavity 50 forthe bow case 10.

The above disclosure provides to the art a bow case 10 for storing atleast one archery bow. The bow case 10 may include a bow case body 12that may include a bottom 30 and a side 32, and at least one leg 14,where the leg may support the body in a raised position. The case 10 mayalso include a mounting bracket 16, which connects the leg to the body,with the mounting bracket simultaneously contacting both the bottom 30and the side 32 of the body.

The mounting bracket 16 may include supports 23 attached between aflange 20 and a base 18 of the mounting bracket. The mounting bracketmay also include a socket 22 that receives a leg 14, and a support 24may be attached between the socket 22 and a surface 54 of the mountingbracket 16. The socket 22 may be tapered and the leg 14 may becollapsible to a reduced length.

The bow case 10 may also include a cavity 50 adjacent a top 44 of thebody 12. A leg 14, and at least one archery tool 56, may be stored inthe cavity. The contents of the cavity may be externally accessiblewhile the body remains closed.

Additionally, a leg 14, and at least one archery tool 56, may be storedin an interior 26 of the body 12.

Also provided by the above disclosure is a bow case 10 that may store atleast one archery bow. The bow case 10 may include an internal cavity 50that is externally accessible while a body 12 remains closed. At leastone archery tool 56 and at least one leg 14 may be stored in the cavity.

The bow case 10 may also include at least one leg 14 that supports thebody 12 in a raised position and the leg 14 may be collapsible to areduced length for storage.

The bow case 10 may also include a mounting bracket 16, which connects aleg 14 to a body 12, with the mounting bracket simultaneously contactingboth a bottom 30 and a side 32 of the body. The mounting bracket mayinclude a socket 22, which receives the leg, and at least one support 24may be attached between the socket and a surface 54 of the mountingbracket 16. Additionally, the socket 22 may be tapered.

The above disclosure also provides a bow case 10 that may store at leastone archery bow. The bow case 10 may include a bow case body 12 with atleast one leg 14, where the leg may support the body in a raisedposition.

A mounting bracket 16, which may connect the leg 14 to the body 12,includes a socket 22 to receive the leg. The mounting bracket mayinclude at least one support 24 attached between the socket and asurface 54 of the mounting bracket. The mounting bracket may alsoinclude a support 23 attached between a flange 20 and a base 18.

It is to be understood that the various examples described above may beutilized in various orientations, such as inclined, inverted,horizontal, vertical, etc., and in various configurations, withoutdeparting from the principles of the present disclosure. The embodimentsillustrated in the drawings are depicted and described merely asexamples of useful applications of the principles of the disclosure,which are not limited to any specific details of these embodiments.

In the above description of the representative examples of thedisclosure, directional terms, such as “bottom,” “top,” “side,” etc.,are used for convenience in referring to the accompanying drawings.However, the principles of this disclosure are not limited to any ofthese specific details.

Of course, a person skilled in the art would, upon a carefulconsideration of the above description of representative embodiments,readily appreciate that many modifications, additions, substitutions,deletions, and other changes may be made to these specific embodiments,and such changes are within the scope of the principles of the presentdisclosure. Accordingly, the foregoing detailed description is to beclearly understood as being given by way of illustration and exampleonly, the spirit and scope of the present invention being limited solelyby the appended claims and their equivalents.

1. A bow case for storing at least one archery bow, the bow casecomprising: a bow case body including a bottom and a side; at least oneleg which supports the body in a raised position; and a mounting bracketwhich connects the leg to the body, the mounting bracket simultaneouslycontacting both the bottom and the side of the body.
 2. The bow case ofclaim 1, wherein at least one support is attached between a flange and abase of the mounting bracket.
 3. The bow case of claim 1, wherein themounting bracket includes a socket which receives the leg therein. 4.The bow case of claim 3, wherein at least one support is attachedbetween the socket and a surface of the mounting bracket.
 5. The bowcase of claim 3, wherein the socket is tapered.
 6. The bow case of claim1, wherein the leg is collapsible to a reduced length.
 7. The bow caseof claim 1, further comprising a cavity adjacent a top of the body. 8.The bow case of claim 7, wherein the leg is stored in the cavity.
 9. Thebow case of claim 7, wherein at least one archery tool is stored in thecavity.
 10. The bow case of claim 7, wherein contents stored in thecavity are externally accessible while the body remains closed.
 11. Thebow case of claim 1, wherein the leg and at least one archery tool arestored in an interior of the body.
 12. A bow case for storing at leastone archery bow, the bow case comprising: a bow case body including aninternal cavity; and the cavity is externally accessible while the bodyremains closed.
 13. The bow case of claim 12, wherein at least onearchery tool is stored in the cavity.
 14. The bow case of claim 12,wherein at least one leg is stored in the cavity.
 15. The bow case ofclaim 12, wherein at least one leg supports the body in a raisedposition.
 16. The bow case of claim 15, wherein the leg is collapsibleto a reduced length.
 17. The bow case of claim 12, further comprising amounting bracket which connects a leg to the body, the mounting bracketsimultaneously contacting both a bottom and a side of the body.
 18. Thebow case of claim 17, wherein the mounting bracket includes a socket,which receives the leg therein; and at least one support is attachedbetween the socket and a surface of the mounting bracket.
 19. The bowcase of claim 18, wherein the socket is tapered.
 20. A bow case forstoring at least one archery bow, the bow case comprising: a bow casebody with at least one leg which supports the body in a raised position,and a mounting bracket which connects the leg to the body; and themounting bracket includes a socket which receives the leg therein; andat least one support attached between the socket and a surface of themounting bracket.
 21. The bow case of claim 20, wherein at least onesupport is attached between a flange and a base of the mounting bracket.22. The bow case of claim 20, wherein the leg is collapsible to areduced length.
 23. The bow case of claim 20, wherein the socket istapered.
 24. The bow case of claim 20, further comprising a cavityadjacent a top of the body, wherein contents stored in the cavity areexternally accessible while the body remains closed.